Pienaar extends Ulster stay

Springbok scrumhalf Ruan Pienaar has signed a three-year contract extension with Irish club Ulster.

Springbok scrumhalf Ruan Pienaar has signed a three-year contract extension with Irish club Ulster.

The 29-year-old international had been linked to a move to French club Toulon but on Tuesday confirmed he will remain at Ravenhill where has been since the start of the 2010/11 season.

He has scored 510 points in 63 games and has been a standout performer in both the Pro12 and European Cup.

Pienaar, who can play at scrumhalf, flyhalf or fullback, has won 71 international caps for South Africa, the latest of which came in the Rugby Championship decider against the All Blacks last Saturday.

Commenting on his contract extension, Pienaar said: "I am delighted to be staying at Ulster. I have really enjoyed my first three seasons at the Province and I am looking forward to helping the team compete for silverware in the coming years.”

Ulster's Director of Rugby, David Humphreys, added: "To be successful, you need top-class players, therefore I am extremely pleased that Ruan, who is one of the best scrumhalves anywhere in the world, is extending his time with us.

"The announcement of this contract will give everyone at Ulster - the players, the staff and the fans a huge lift, especially as it had been wrongly reported that Ruan would be leaving us.

"It was no surprise to us that his services were coveted by other clubs, but we always knew that what we could offer him in terms of a great playing squad, a world-class stadium and state-of-the-art training facilities would be enough to make him want to stay.

"Ruan's decision to commit to three more years at Ravenhill is a huge endorsement of what we are doing at Ulster and I have no doubt that he will be a key part of our success in the coming seasons.”